During a Public Night at the observatory not long ago, I noticed a young boy picking at the blistering paint on the curved wall that supports the dome. Had it gotten that bad, so bad that you could see the flakes in the darkness? Yes, it was that bad. So I spent a good amount of effort wire brushing the flakes from the wall, applying a primer coat –in some places bare concrete stucco had been exposed– finishing with the color coat. In a reverse-order move I noticed that the capstones supporting the dome rotating mechanicals looked pretty bad with their yellowed gray paint. So I wire brushed them, applied primer, and painted the capstone faces. Had to clean up a few drips that fell on the newly painted wall below but I'm glad I did it anyway. So here, in living color, is a photo of the Cooley Telescope surrounded by a non-gray wall, capped with stones painted to look like stone… their own native sandstone to be specific.I'm sure some antique observatory folk will be shocked when they see it. I, however, think it looks splendid. I'd have done the inside of the dome too, if I'd have been able. Next I must find a way to refinish the telescope in situ.
PhotonStopper 
Wow! What a huge difference! Really looks great!